SOHC Acceleration

[ok89]

Ok guys with SOHC engines. My gas mileage is not what it should be. I think that I have Heavy Foot Syndrome. My question is this. When you are accelerating how high do you let the RPMs go? I try not to go over 3000 on acceleration. I think this may be my gas mileage problems.

 

[tbomb]

what kind of mileage are you getting?

 

[leenjen]

Originally posted by ok89
I try not to go over 3000 on acceleration. I think this may be my gas mileage problems.

Really??

the SOHC revs higher than the OHV, and i usually drive my OHV up to 3500 when accelerating. if i'm in a hurry, i'll go over 4000. mine redlines at 4900 RPM, but i think the SOHC has a higher redline.

i usually get about 400 miles per tank of gas with regular driving.

 

[Jason_25]

I also have lead foot syndrome. I barely ever hit the redline but 3000, maybe 3500 on acceleration on my OHV.

 

[XLT_66]

don't feel bad...i drive my X very well most the time...and don't accelerate too hard...i only get like 12.7 per gallon. I should be gettin a lot better...but i don't know what it is that is causing the bad gas mileage. I have tried better gas....going slow...never punching it...i dunno...

 

[ok89]

TBomb I got 14.47 on my last tank. This is after Ford did their tune up and I waxed the Explorer. I think another thing that could be doing it is driving between 80 and 90 mph with the windows down.

 

[XLT_66]

MINES LOWER THAN YOUR'S IS!!! HAHAHA

 

[TarHeel085]

last time i got 10-12 mpg, i also have "HFS". mine redlines at about 5500-5700 RPM, i only do that when im eatin up a chevy or j**p! but usually on accel id say about 3000 to 3500.

 

[expo5.0]

i rev mine to 5300 all the time. and thats with the v8 and i still get 12-14 in town. is the sohc redline really at 4900 that seems really low, but i've never really paid attention while driving one. theres probably another problem with your truck that when fixed will help your mileage.

 

[nosaj122081]

I shift my OHV at about 3000-3500, feels like it hit a freakin' brick wall after that, but I'm used to banging the 351 in my Mach into its next gear at around 5700RPM or shifting my old Talons at 6500RPM. Honestly, with the exception of the Mach 1 (you can watch the gas gauge drop when the secondaries open up), I have never really noticed to much a difference in gas mileage between different driving styles. I usually get between 220-260 miles to 3/4 a tank of gas (depends on how much I slow-pumped in after it clicked off) with a 5 speed and 4.10:1 gears.

 

[Jason_25]

I'm with you there nosaj122081. I don't even see the need to rev higher than 3500 with the stock engine. It falls flat on it's face after that. With the chip it seems to be a little better up high.

 

[Alec]

I go up to 5000-5200 on my OHV. Guess I'm a little crazy! That's when the auto tranny shifts at WOT. Under normal driving, it shifts about 3000-3500.

 

[expo5.0]

alec, i'm pretty sure we are both crazy.

my mileage also doesn't change much with driving style. it seems that no matter what it comes out about the same.

 

[leenjen]

but alec, that boost from the supercharger really helps in the high rpms.

the way i drive my daytona and the way i drive my explorer are totally different. i love the high rpms on the turbo engine.

 

[addkev]

My guages don't even show a redline...who knows.
But I consistently get 16-18 mpg and that will give me about 350 to a tank if I let it go until the light comes on.

 

[Alec]

Ya I know, Leenjen. I usually make my gf's 98 OHV shift around 3700-4000. It's totally stock, with the 5R55E.

My hp peak is at max RPMs, plain and simple. The more I rev, the more ponies I get. Though it's fairly flat from 4000 to redline, it still keeps increasing.

 

[SWLathrop]

I run my 97 Sport with the SOHC hard almost all the time back and forth to work. It's 8.5 miles one way up and down steep hills. I average 15-18 MPG this way. I really don't notice any difference in mileage if I drive it hard or easy back and forth to work. However, on the highway I average 20-22 if I maintain 75MPH (Thru-way driving). At 75MPH, the SOHC is running about 2800 RPMs. It seems to get its best mileage there. Anything above or below that RPM and the mileage drops to about 18 MPG. The X just turned 70K miles on the way in today. The specs of my X are this:

1997 Sport 4X4 w/CONTROL TRAC
4.0 SOHC w/5R55E Auto Transmission
Cooper Discover S/T P255/70R16 tires
4:10 gears
Cut air box
AMSOIL in the following components:
Engine: Series 2000 0W30 motor oil with Dual Remote Bypass oil filter system
Air Filter: AMSOIL TS-122
Transmission: Universal Tranny Fluid
Power Steering: Universal Tranny Fluid
Transfer Case: Universal Tranny Fluid
Rear axle: Series 2000 75W90 Gear Lube
Front Axle: series 2000 75W90 Gear Lube
Gas Tank: 2 oz. P.I. Fuel Additive every Tank fill-up

 

[Robert]

I've had similar results to SWLathrop. The best mileage I ever recorded on my '97 SOHC 4x4 Sport was driving across New Mexico with the CC set at 75 MPH. I hit 20.5 MPG on that tank. I usually run in the mid 18s to low 19s when I drive 65-70 MPH. My '94 4.0L OHV Ranger hated anything above 4000 RPM. MY '97 SOHC Explorer doesn't wake up until it hits 3000 RPM and pulls strongly all the way to red-line. Red-line on my stock '97 SOHC was 6000 RPM, with my Superchip it has been bumped up to about 6500 RPM. When I am not interested in getting in front of the car next to me, I accelerate with the flow of traffic which usually runs the tach up to about 3300 RPM.

 

[nosaj122081]

Originally posted by Alec
Ya I know, Leenjen. I usually make my gf's 98 OHV shift around 3700-4000. It's totally stock, with the 5R55E.

My hp peak is at max RPMs, plain and simple. The more I rev, the more ponies I get. Though it's fairly flat from 4000 to redline, it still keeps increasing.

Still have a stock cam? No matter what modifications or bolt ons you add, with a truck cam it is always gonna top-end the engines power at low RPMs than maybe it even should.

 

[espnfreak]

jeeze no wonder ford trannies go so fast. lol. i keep mine below 3k rpm all the time, unless im accelerating from a stop onto a 60+ mph road. I figure why slam the gas if you dont have the ponies...but ya i do drive pretty conservately. The V8's i really like because it seems you dont really have to push hard on the pedal and it seems to go much easier